


i have not the pleasure of understanding you

by ackermanx



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 13:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11336640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ackermanx/pseuds/ackermanx
Summary: uhm. i'im so so sorry the fic just ran away from me ghghghghgfdhgj it's not exactly what you requested but i hope you like it anyway /tiny screeching noisesand yes. yes that's a quote from pride and prejudice. drags my nerd ass out the door





	i have not the pleasure of understanding you

**Author's Note:**

> uhm. i'im so so sorry the fic just ran away from me ghghghghgfdhgj it's not exactly what you requested but i hope you like it anyway /tiny screeching noises
> 
> and yes. yes that's a quote from pride and prejudice. drags my nerd ass out the door

Shifting from foot to foot as he stands in line Leo can't help but wonder why Elise was so insistent that he stop by this particular coffee shop.

 

It wasn't like they had anything different - Leo had looked over the menu at least three times, and everything listed there could be found at any large chain store. The setup on the inside wasn't much different, either; a few scattered tables, the occasional couch, a bar-like setup near the windows -

 

An impatient cough.

 

"So, are you actually going to order anything, or are you going to keep standing there with that constipated look on your face?"

 

Leo splutters, shaking his head viciously to bring himself back to reality. "I'm not - I do  _not_ look like that!"

 

" _Niles,_ old buddy old friend."

 

A dusty-pink-haired male slings an arm over the barista who had been talking with Leo. "Sorry about that. He was just joking. Right?"

 

Niles just raises an eyebrow. "Name?"

 

"Me?" Leo blinks. "Um. Leo."

 

Niles's eyebrow climbs higher in recognition as he shrugs off the arm around his shoulders to grab a Sharpie and a cup. "Well,  _Leo_ , don't worry about it, I've got you covered. Just find a place to wait, and I'll get your caffeine to you."

 

"Oh. Okay."

 

Slightly shaken, Leo moves out of the line and hovers near the pickup counter, where the questions of  _who are these people?_ and  _how do they know my name_ occupy his mind.

 

Until, that is, a rather loud blonde declares that "coffee for Sir Leo is ready!" and slides Leo a steaming cup of something and a paper napkin with black scribbles on it.

 

"Thanks," Leo mumbles, and he swears he can hear the same barista yell "have a wonderful day!" as he makes his way towards the front of the shop.

 

(Safely back in his car, Leo uncrumples the napkin and takes a sip of the...surprisingly delicious drink."

 

"Say hello to Elise for me", it reads.)

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"He's your  _friend_?"

 

Elise nods, the grin never leaving her face. "Mhm! He's always at the bus stop the same time that I am, so we always end up talking. And now that I think about it, doesn't he get off somewhere near here, too? Although..."

 

She shrugs. "I guess it's not too important right now. So, tell me! How was it? Was he nice?"

 

"Um."

 

Leo takes another sip of his drink and tries not to laugh. "I suppose? He told me that my resting face looked awful and proceeded to pay for my drink."

 

"He  _what_?" Elise leans in closer. "I only told him to make you one of his special drinks...brother, you've gotten yourself an admirer!"

 

"I have not! Niles was just...being nice. Or he forgot to charge me. That's all."

 

Elise just rolls her eyes. " _Brother_ , I know you're dense, but come on. I don't think Niles is the type of person to be nice to strangers or to forget. And besides, if big sis Camilla was here, she'd back me up and you know it."

 

"Well, Camilla isn't here, so I can live in peace," Leo shoots back.

 

Leaning back into the cushions of her chair, Elise sticks out her tongue.

 

"Anyways, as much as I enjoyed this conversation, I should be getting back, in case my roommate decided to use my copy of Animal Farm as target practice again. And 0 " Holding up a hand to silence the barrage that he knew was coming, Leo continues - "I  _promise_ I'll call you if anything happens. Or text. Whichever you prefer."

 

"I'll be expecting news!" is the last thing that Leo hears before he shuts the door to Elise's apartment behind him, a fond smile on his face.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

A week passes before Leo works up the nerve to do anything.

 

A week in which Leo had run out of coffee, because Takumi, his roommate, was going through an uncalled-for amount of tests. And while Takumi held some sort of grudge against Western energy drinks in general, desperation drove him to ask Leo if he could share his coffeine stash.

 

Which left Leo with two options: he could drive to the nearest grocery shop and put up with sky-high prices, or walk the short distance to Elise's recommended coffee shop and put up with...interesting baristas.

 

Leo much preferred the latter.

 

So he walks - it's a warm Tuesday afternoon, and he has enough time to spare to stroll through the city at a fairly relaxed pace. With a book clutched to his chest, Leo pushes open the door to the shop and makes a beeline for a table in the back where he can hopefully read in peace for a while before he has to deal with absolutely anything -

 

Just as Leo finishes that thought - just as he opens his book to where he had last placed his bookmark - a cup of coffee lands on the table in front of him. 

 

Leo sighs, about to get up and switch to a new table, when the sound of a throat clearing freezes him in place.

 

A familiar silver-haired man slides into the seat across from Leo. "Laslow insisted that I apologize to you, even though you probably don't remember what I'm supposed to be apologizing for. So - "

 

"I do," Leo interrupts, eyes never leaving the page of his book. "But I really don't think that it's anything to apologize for."

 

"Oh, good. By the way, I'm Niles."

 

"I've gathered. I'm Leo, if you don't remember. And you really should stop paying for my drinks, people might get the wrong idea."

 

Niles's grin only grows wider.

 

"Let them."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

Without either of them noticing, Niles slowly starts to become a part of Leo's daily routine.

 

Leo soon knows Niles's schedule like the back of his hand; he stops by during breaks and the two of them grab a table in the back of the shop and chat. Niles finds out that Leo's a literature major; that he has three siblings and one vaguely annoying roommate; that he once refused to speak to said roommate for three whole days because he had referred to coffee as "dirty bean water."

 

Leo learns that Niles is an orphan; that he's willing to do as many odd jobs as he can to make ends meet; that he flirts with almost every human being out of pure nervousness.

 

Out of some unspoken agreement (or maybe just mutual hesitation), neither of them discuss their growing attraction towards each other. They trade one-liners over sandwiches and Niles's special coffee (Leo cheats and pulls quotes from whatever book he happens to be reading at the moment); Leo occasionally panics and texts Elise  _what do I do, this is weird_ and refrains from throwing his phone when she responds with a  _go get him, brother ;)_.

 

Neither of them discuss the flushed faces and glances that last a bit too long and brief touches that mean more to one person than they do to the other (or so they think).

 

It all comes to a head one evening when Leo gathers his things and rises from his chair to leave that he hears Niles mutter something under his breath.

 

"Sorry? I didn't catch that." Leo tilts his head in confusion.

 

"Nothing, just..."

 

Niles straightens up and looks into Leo's eyes. "I was just thinking, I never really got the chance to know you? Like, I know you, but I don't  _know_ you?"

 

Leo raises an eyebrow. "This really isn't the time to be making crass jokes, you know?"

 

"Oh, you. Always ruining the fun." Niles smirks. "But I know that - I'm being serious. I would sincerely like to get to know you better - and if that sounds crude, forgive me. Besides, if I remember correctly, I never really opened up to you, either. So, if you'd like the chance...?"

 

Leo's eyebrow climbs higher.

 

"Well. If you're offering, it would be rude to turn you down, wouldn't it?"

 

"That's the spirit."

 

Niles slides another coffee cup across the table, this time with more scribbles than usual. "I wasn't sure if I would get to use this, but here. My phone number, in case you ever do feel like taking me up on that offer. What do you say?"

 

Grinning, Leo extends a hand to grab the cup off of the table.

 

"Sounds like a plan to me."


End file.
